Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch from London
Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes to Douglas, James 12 July 1859, LAC RG7:G8C/2, 1.
Abstract
Despatch from London.
Enclosures (untranscribed) (1).
Newcastle admonishes Douglas for informing the Vancouver Island House of Assembly that
the Agent of the Hudsons Bay Company had agreed to defray the whole of the expensefor
the erection of certain buildings required for the public offices of the Colony,noting among other points, that Douglas could not
have expected when incurring this expense on the very eve of the termination of the [HBC] license, that any portion of the expense would be ultimately defrayed by Her Majesty's Government.Newcastle directs Douglas
to cease at once all farther expenditure on these buildings or other public works except such as may be incurred with the consent of the Legislature of Vancouvers Island.
No. 1
Downing Street
12 July 1859
Sir,
I have to acknowledge your despatch No. 17 of the
14th of May last,
transmitting for the information of Her Majesty's Government, copies of
your Correspondence with the House of Assembly of Vancouvers
Vancouvers Island up
to the 7th of May last.
Vancouvers Island up
to the 7th of May last.
From your message of the 7th respecting the erection of certain
buildings required for the public offices of the Colony, it would seem
that you informed the House of Assembly that the people of the Island
were not to defray the cost of these buildings, and that the Agent
Agent of
the Hudsons Bay Company had agreed to defray the whole of the expense.
Agent of
the Hudsons Bay Company had agreed to defray the whole of the expense.
I am at a loss to understand the ground of these proceedings. Both
you and the Agent of the Hudsons Bay Company have been fully aware that
the license to the Company was about to terminate on the 19th of May:
that on that event Her Majesty's Government had the power to repurchase
the
the Island "in consideration of sums expended by the Company and the
value of their establishment:" and you were directed by Mr Labouchere,
as long ago as February 1856, to send home in anticipation of that
event, the necessary accounts of what was due.
the Island "in consideration of sums expended by the Company and the
value of their establishment:" and you were directed by Mr Labouchere,
as long ago as February 1856, to send home in anticipation of that
event, the necessary accounts of what was due.The Company were warned in January 1858, that this power of repurchase would be exercised: and there has been
been since a long correspondence, not yet terminated, between Her Majesty's Government
and the Company as to the adjustment of accounts.
been since a long correspondence, not yet terminated, between Her Majesty's Government
and the Company as to the adjustment of accounts.
You cannot therefore have expected when incurring this expense on
the very eve of the termination of the license, that any portion of the
expense would be ultimately defrayed by Her Majesty's Government; and if
if
there has been any mistake on this point, I must direct you to cease at
once all farther expenditure on these buildings or other public works
except such as may be incurred with the consent of the Legislature of
Vancouvers Island.
if
there has been any mistake on this point, I must direct you to cease at
once all farther expenditure on these buildings or other public works
except such as may be incurred with the consent of the Legislature of
Vancouvers Island.
I send you copy of the letter which I have caused to be addressed
on this
this subject to the Governor of the Company.
this subject to the Governor of the Company.
Governor Douglas, C.B.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
H.H. Berens, Hudson's Bay Company, 12 July 1859, rejecting the implication from Douglas that the HBC would pay for construction of public buildings, which he was building "without the
sanction of the Assembly."